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Registration for Faith Formation is now open!
Please CLICK HERE to register.
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Please CLICK HERE for General Information about this year's programs.
St. John the Baptist 2024-2025 Faith Formation Registration program is open! The goal of our Faith Formation program is to assist parents in the religious education of their children. Parents are the primary teacher in the ways of faith and we very much want to partner with them in deepening their children's faith and love of God.
Our Faith Formation program is open to all Catholic children in grades 1 – 8 who are not attending a Catholic elementary school. Children in Grade 2 receive the Sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Communion and young people in 10th Grade of High School receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. Religious Education every year from 1st through 8th grades helps secure them a solid foundation in the faith and helps qualify them to receive their Sacraments with their peers.
God made us social beings. He wants us to come together in community to worship Him. Attending weekend Mass is part of all Faith Formation. “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I” (Matthew 18:30)
For more information, please contact Kathy Breitenbach, Registrar/Program Administrator at kbreitenbach@stjohnhillsdale.com or 201-666-2707 ext. 211
SUMMER PROGRAMS
SUMMER PROGRAM GRADES 1 TO 8
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The 2024-2025 Summer program was held on June 24, 25, 26, 27, and 28.
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The faith formation resource for grades 1 through 6 is Finding God by Loyola Press, with 15 out of 25 lessons taught during the summer week. The remaining 10 lessons will be covered during sessions to be held once a month on a Sunday morning from 8:45am - 9:45am beginning in September and ending in March. ​
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​For grades 7 and 8, the faith formation resource is the Thematic Program Alive in Christ by Our Sunday Visitor. The themed books for this two-year Jr. High program include Revelation, Holy Trinity, Jesus Christ, and Kingdom of God. The students are expected to attend 6 additional sessions during the year on a Sunday morning from 8:45am to 9:45am beginning in September and ending in March.
SUNDAY WEEKLY PROGRAMS
We are offering a Sunday weekly program. There will be approximately 20 classes scheduled throughout the academic year beginning in mid-September and ending in April 2025. Classes begin at 8:45am and end at 9:45am. An initial parent meeting will be held in September. Date & time TBD.
For more information, please contact Kathy at
201-666-2707 ext. 211 or kbreitenbach@stjohnhillsdale.com
FAMILY HOME STUDY
PROGRAM
Family Home Program for Grades 1 through 6 is a completely cooperative effort between home and parish. The parish provides the resources and formal instruction for both parents and children. The family works at the reinforcement and informal instruction, within the family/home time.
St. John’s is excited to begin a new structure to the monthly formation gatherings. Monthly gatherings will begin at 7:00pm with both parent and child(ren) arriving at the parish center and sharing opening prayer in the community room. After prayer the children will be dismissed to a classroom setting with a catechist and aide within the parish center or church rooms. Catechists will receive a reduction in fee. Further details can be discussed with Kathy Breitenbach.
The children will be taught the first session of each unit and parents will remain in the community room for the remaining 45 minutes for faith formation that will be taught by Pastoral Associate and or volunteers. After formation, parents will pick their child(ren) up from his/her classroom.
We will begin with an initial parent meeting in mid-September at which time workbooks, calendar for Online Interactive lessons to be completed at home and gathering dates once a month in the evening from October through April 2025 will be distributed. Dates and times to be TBD.
JUNIOR HIGH
FAITH FORMATION
Students in the 7th and 8th grade continue to use the faith formation Jr. High Thematic program from Our Sunday Visitor. There will be one class each month beginning at 7:00pm to 8:00pm in the parish center. The students will be taught two chapters in class and continue the remaining work at home. Homework is collected at the beginning of each class.
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The themed books for this year are Revelation, Trinity, Jesus Christ, and Kingdom of God from the program Alive in Christ by Our Sunday Visitors. Initial parent meeting will be in September. Date & time TBD.
For more information, please contact Kathy at
201-666-2707 ext. 211 or kbreitenbach@stjohnhillsdale.com
